Celebrating the ordinary
In mid-May, my friend Connie May brought me a tiny yellow-and-black caterpillar to raise. For four weeks it ate tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) leaves and grew to be two inches long.
I especially liked its yellow “booties” and red spikes. Continue reading “Promethea moth”
Royal catchfly (Silene regia) is another native perennial that has done well in spite of our prolonged hot, dry weather. It’s been blooming for over a month and continues to provide a much-appreciated bright spot in the backyard. It’s especially striking when backlit by the morning sun.
Continue reading “Royal catchfly – another drought-resistant native”
Goodness, it’s hot and dry. It is a challenging time for plants, wildlife, and gardeners. I previously blogged about why purple coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea) are one of my favorite perennials. They’re now proving to be one of my most drought-resistant plants and attracting the most visitors, including this orange sulphur butterfly (Colias eurytheme).
The morning after my “Baby robins” post I saw the young birds, but by afternoon the nest was empty. I was surprised at how much I missed them and wondered if something had gone wrong. However, in a few days a young robin that would have been about the right age appeared in the backyard. It was frequently begging for food and being fed by an adult male.
The scene of the robins’ nest has changed considerably since the previous post. Instead of four beautiful blue eggs there are now two nestlings – we have no idea what happened to the other two eggs. Now the adults are kept busy looking for insects and worms.
